Demonland

As discussed on the Demonland Podcast; Gawn may be back as early as Round 12. http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-05-17/gawn-in-an-instant-back-in-round-12

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This experience of supporting Melbourne is a bit like walking your way through an emotional whirlwind. You get very little time to savour the rare experience of a seven goal win over what is acknowledged as the leading team in the competition on their home patch before one of your finest young players suffers a concussion for the fourth time in twelve months and all of a sudden his career is in question. That's what happened to Angus Brayshaw less than 24 hours after the team triumphantly strode off the Adelaide Oval last Saturday evening. The highs and the lows of competition sport are well known and they happen to everyone - it's a given. But the whirlwind for Demon fans is an ill wind from hell that blows strong, and hot: in fact its white hot and you get to feel the heat a matter of two days down the track when another young man who it was said would one day the best key forward in the land, is diagnosed as having testicular cancer. The pundits can talk about the Demons' win in Adelaide as the most outstanding victory of any team for the season to date, but what does it mean when one of your own is suffering from such a shattering diagnosis coming less than two weeks after the passing of his father? They say that the cancer can be overcome, that this type of surgery carries a high rate of success, that "... this was an extremely early detection and Jesse is expected to make a full recovery and will return to football this year." The comfort comes from the knowledge that there are people like Sam Rowe, the Carlton defender who ironically was struck in the face by Hogan, incurring him a two week suspension as a result in Round 2, who survived the ordeal of treatment for the ailment and recovered to play football again. And Rowe reached out to offer him counseling and assistance in his darkest hours. But from the club's perspective, it all continues. There's a game to be won against the Kangaroos with their giant ruckman standing in the way while the Demons' own talls look on from the sidelines, leaving an undersized ruck department to fight against the odds. They haven't beaten North Melbourne for a while - not since Nathan Jones' career was in its infancy back in 2006. John Howard was the Prime Minister back then, Sexyback by Justin Timberlake was the number one song in the country and a Japanese horse named Delta Blues was being prepared to win the Melbourne Cup. A little freckle-faced kid called Clayton Oliver was in grade two. One of the constants throughout Melbourne's last decade of pain has been North Melbourne's dominance over the club. That winning streak currently stands at 15 games in a row including the last seven games between them at the MCG. The streak will be broken at some stage and if the Demons can bring last week's form into Sunday's game then it will happen sooner rather than later. It wasn't all that long ago that Melbourne's midfield depth was derided by some so-called experts including those who used statistics to demonstrate its weakness in the engine room. But that is a case that can no longer be argued with a straight face. Today's Demon on ball brigade is absolutely ferocious. They are ranked in the top four in the competition for centre clearances (despite their current ruck woes), contested possessions tackles. Perhaps this is what prompted Kevin Bartlett to claim that the Dees are one of only three Victorian sides that can win the premiership this year. The problem is that the team's depth has been hit hard by those injuries to key players. I would like to think that Melbourne can overcome the injury plague and win again this week even without Gus, Jesse and the big blokes. Good clubs manage to do such things consistently. Ask the Western Bulldogs who did it last year when they walked through the whirlwind to overcome similar adversity. For the Demons, it would be a real triumph of the soul. THE GAME Melbourne v North Melbourne on Sunday 21 May, 2017 at the MCG at 3.20pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 83 wins North Melbourne 79 wins 1 draw At MCG Melbourne 54 wins North Melbourne 36 wins Last five times Melbourne 0 wins North Melbourne 5 wins The Coaches Goodwin 0 wins Scott 0 wins MEDIA TV - Channel 7, Fox Sports 3 at 3.00pm (live) RADIO - TBA THE BETTING Melbourne to win $1.50 North Melbourne to win $2.60 THE LAST TIME THEY MET North Melbourne 21.10.136 defeated Melbourne 20.11.131 at Blundstone Oval in Round 3 2016. The Kangaroos were quick out of the blocks with a roaring gale at their backs and had seven straight goals on the board before the Demons troubled the scorers but after trailing by 36 points at the first break they played a nine-goal second term to be seven points ahead at halftime. North then regained the lead halfway through the third and led by 3 goals at the final break with Melbourne pushing forward to level the scores 8 minutes into the final term. The Kangaroos regrouped and the Melbourne fightback left it 5 points adrift when Billy Stretch gathered the ball near goal as the siren sounded. MELBOURNE B: Michael Hibberd, Oscar McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Jayden Hunt, Sam Frost, Bernie Vince C: Nathan Jones, Clayton Oliver, Tomas Bugg HF: Christian Petracca, Jack Watts, Mitch Hannan F: Jeff Garlett, Cameron Pedersen, Dom Tyson FOLL: Tom McDonald, Jordan Lewis, Jack Viney I/C: Dean Kent, Christian Salem, Josh Wagner, Sam Weideman EMG: Jake Melksham, Alex Neal-Bullen Billy Stretch NO CHANGE NORTH MELBOURNE B: Marley Williams, Robbie Tarrant, Ed Vickers-Willis HB: Aaron Mullett, Scott D Thompson, Jamie Macmillan C: Sam Gibson, Ben Cunnington, Mason Wood HF: Kayne Turner, Jarrad Waite, Luke McDonald F: Nathan Hrovat, Ben Brown, Shaun Higgins FOLL: Todd Goldstein, Jack Ziebell, Jed Anderson, Ryan Clarke I/C: Shaun Atley, Taylor Garner, Lachlan Hansen, Andrew Swallow, EMG: Sam Durdin, Declan Mountford, Braydon Preuss IN: Taylor Garner, Aaron Mullett, Andrew Swallow, Jarrad Waite OUT: Jed Anderson (foot) Trent Dumont (concussion), Sam Durdin (omitted), Jy Simpkin (AC Joint) IT ALL FIGURES by Stan the Stats Man More than a third of the season has passed by so it's time to look at how the Melbourne list has been traveling. The club has often been compared with another AFL up-and-comer in St. Kilda but I can assure you that the Saints have few injury worries to date by comparison with Melbourne and one or two other clubs in the competition. That's just one thing that stands out from the simple analysis below. 1. Jesse Hogan MFC games 4, goals 9 An eventful season so far but not for good reasons. He was suspended in Round 2, missed a week mourning the loss of his father and now the cancer diagnosis. 2. Nathan Jones MFC games 8, goals 6 The hard nosed skipper has led from the front throughout the season so far. 3. Christian Salem MFC games 8, goals 3 Has raised his game a level whether playing in midfield or defence. 4. Jack Watts MFC games 8, goals 13 After a less than encouraging pre season period, Watts has hardly put a foot wrong as a forward or back up ruckman. 5. Christian Petracca MFC games 8, goals 12 Has made good progress and is starting to live up to his high draft selection. 6. Jordan Lewis MFC games 5, goals 3 A magnificent acquisition for the club who has provided inspiration and leadership but with one major blemish being his suspension for 3 matches after a brain fade in Round 2. 7. Jack Viney MFC games 8, goals 3 Made a slow start to the season and has started to come good in the last few weeks. 8. Heritier Lumumba Retired without even making a start to his pre season. 9. Jack Trengove CD games 5, goals 1 Still biding his time playing consistent football in the VFL but will he get another opportunity to play at the highest level? 10. Angus Brayshaw MFC games 2, goals 1, CD games 3, goals 1 Troubled by concussion issues and his short term future remains in doubt. 11. Max Gawn MFC games 3, goals 1 Injured in Round 3 and underwent hamstring surgery after the game, the All Australian ruckman's presence in the ruck is being sorely missed. 12. Dom Tyson MFC games 7, goals 1 Form has been a little inconsistent but he's been really important when up and running. 13. Clayton Oliver MFC games 8, goals 1 The young midfielder is having an outstanding second season. Probably leading in the club's best and fairest and even spoken of as a possible All Australian. 14. Michael Hibberd MFC games 4, goals 1, CD games 2, goals 0 A prolific ball winner with great delivery skills and a good stopper in defence. Already an important player with the Demons after missing the early games with injury. 15. Billy Stretch MFC games 5, goals 2, CD games 2, goals 0 After a good start, his form dropped off ever so slightly and he found himself out of the side. 16. Dean Kent MFC games 3, goals 5, CD games 3, goals 3 Form has been indifferent but he has his chance now. 17. Sam Frost MFC games 5, goals 0 Came back from some pre season injury worries as a much improved player in defence. 18. Jake Melksham MFC games 6, goals 0, CD games 1, goals 1 Had some good moments but found himself down at Casey where he earned a suspension after playing a blinder. 19. Mitch Hannan MFC games 7, goals 7 Has been good in his debut year at the club. 20. Colin Garland Suffered an ACL injury before the start of the season. Sidelined for 2017. 21. Cameron Pedersen MFC games 3, goals 5, CD games 2, goals 3 Working hard against tough odds and taller opposition as a fill in ruckman/forward. 22. Aaron Vandenberg Yet to take the field during the regular season due to a heel injury. 23. Bernie Vince MFC games 7, goals 1 Played a great tagging role in recent weeks and was terrific on Rory Sloane. 24. Jay Kennedy-Harris MFC games 3, goals 0, CD games 2, goals 1 Didn't do enough to impress in his three match stint after a long period out through injuries. 25. Tom McDonald MFC games 8, goals 4 Strong leader in defence who has also gone forward and played on the ball during the club's ruck crisis. 26. Sam Weideman MFC games 5, goals 3, CD games 1, goals 0 Was strong in the tackling department against Adelaide but needs to impose himself more as a tall forward. 27. Liam Hulett CD games 2, goals 0, CD DL games 1, goals 0 Struggling at the moment at Casey after missing part of the pre season. 28. Oscar McDonald MFC games 6, goals 0, CD games 2, goals 0 His form was patchy early but has come back strongly after a stint with the Casey Demons. 29. Jayden Hunt MFC games 8, goals 4 Having a wonderful season highlighted by his blistering pace, adventurous running and athleticism. 30. Alex Neal-Bullen MFC games 6, goals 3, CD games 1, goals 1 Had is moments this year and is on the fringe at the moment. 32. Tomas Bugg MFC games 4, goals 2, CD games 1, goals 5 Working his way into a regular spot in the Demon line up. 33. Jake Spencer MFC games 2, goals 0 Waited a long time to get an opportunity at AFL level but suffered a shoulder injury in just his second game back. 34. Mitch King CD games 4, goals 0 King is a developing player coming back from an ACL and is being given time at Casey. 35. Ben Kennedy CD games 5, goals 2 Struggling to gain a spot at Melbourne, Kennedy has been working on his game down at Casey. 36. Jeff Garlett MFC games 8, goals 20 Dangerous forward having a terrific season and finally gaining recognition for the value of his role to the team. 37. Dion Johnstone CD games 5, goals 2 Speedy forward who can lay a tackle is learning the trade in the VFL. 38. Tim Smith ® MFC games 2, goals 1, CD games 1 goals 0 Unlucky to suffer a broken rib in his second game. 39. Neville Jetta MFC games 8, goals 2 Steady as a rock playing the small defender's role. 40. Patrick McKenna A hamstring tear has prevented him from playing at either AFL or VFL level. Had another setback at training this week. 41. Mitchell White ® CD games 4, goals 1 Working hard as a defender at Casey but missed last week. 42. Josh Wagner MFC games 2, goals 0, CD games 1, goals 0 Had some injury woes in the pre season but has come back into the team and slotted in well in defence. 43. James Harmes MFC games 4, goals 3, CD games 3, goals 0 Lost his place in the Melbourne team but bounced back with a strong performance at Casey last week. 44. Joel Smith ® MFC games 1, goals 0 Was going along nicely in defence on debut when he suffered an injured shoulder and will miss at least the rest of the first half of the season. 45. Declan Keilty ® CD games 5, goals 3 Rookie spare parts man getting experience as a back up ruckman with key position roles in the VFL. 47. Lachlan Filipovic ® CD DL games 4, goals 0 Project ruckman getting game time in the Development League with the Casey Demons. 48. Corey Maynard ® CD games 4, goals 1 Was coming along nicely performing better than expected and getting plenty of the ball as a midfielder at Casey when he suffered a big hit and will miss his second game this week as a result.

THE WHIRLWIND by Whispering Jack This experience of supporting Melbourne is a bit like walking your way through an emotional whirlwind. You get very little time to savour the rare experience of a seven goal win over what is acknowledged as the leading team in the competition on their home patch before one of your finest young players suffers a concussion for the fourth time in twelve months and all of a sudden his career is in question. That's what happened to Angus Brayshaw less than 24 hours after the team triumphantly strode off the Adelaide Oval last Saturday evening. The highs and the lows of competition sport are well known and they happen to everyone - it's a given. But the whirlwind for Demon fans is an ill wind from hell that blows strong, and hot: in fact its white hot and you get to feel the heat a matter of two days down the track when another young man who it was said would one day the best key forward in the land, is diagnosed as having testicular cancer. The pundits can talk about the Demons' win in Adelaide as the most outstanding victory of any team for the season to date, but what does it mean when one of your own is suffering from such a shattering diagnosis coming less than two weeks after the passing of his father? They say that the cancer can be overcome, that this type of surgery carries a high rate of success, that "... this was an extremely early detection and Jesse is expected to make a full recovery and will return to football this year." The comfort comes from the knowledge that there are people like Sam Rowe, the Carlton defender who ironically was struck in the face by Hogan, incurring him a two week suspension as a result in Round 2, who survived the ordeal of treatment for the ailment and recovered to play football again. And Rowe reached out to offer him counseling and assistance in his darkest hours. But from the club's perspective, it all continues. There's a game to be won against the Kangaroos with their giant ruckman standing in the way while the Demons' own talls look on from the sidelines, leaving an undersized ruck department to fight against the odds. They haven't beaten North Melbourne for a while - not since Nathan Jones' career was in its infancy back in 2006. John Howard was the Prime Minister back then, Sexyback by Justin Timberlake was the number one song in the country and a Japanese horse named Delta Blues was being prepared to win the Melbourne Cup. A little freckle-faced kid called Clayton Oliver was in grade two. One of the constants throughout Melbourne's last decade of pain has been North Melbourne's dominance over the club. That winning streak currently stands at 15 games in a row including the last seven games between them at the MCG. The streak will be broken at some stage and if the Demons can bring last week's form into Sunday's game then it will happen sooner rather than later. It wasn't all that long ago that Melbourne's midfield depth was derided by some so-called experts including those who used statistics to demonstrate its weakness in the engine room. But that is a case that can no longer be argued with a straight face. Today's Demon on ball brigade is absolutely ferocious. They are ranked in the top four in the competition for centre clearances (despite their current ruck woes), contested possessions tackles. Perhaps this is what prompted Kevin Bartlett to claim that the Dees are one of only three Victorian sides that can win the premiership this year. The problem is that the team's depth has been hit hard by those injuries to key players. I would like to think that Melbourne can overcome the injury plague and win again this week even without Gus, Jesse and the big blokes. Good clubs manage to do such things consistently. Ask the Western Bulldogs who did it last year when they walked through the whirlwind to overcome similar adversity. For the Demons, it would be a real triumph of the soul. THE GAME Melbourne v North Melbourne on Sunday 21 May, 2017 at the MCG at 3.20pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 83 wins North Melbourne 79 wins 1 draw At MCG Melbourne 54 wins North Melbourne 36 wins Last five times Melbourne 0 wins North Melbourne 5 wins The Coaches Goodwin 0 wins Scott 0 wins MEDIA TV - Channel 7, Fox Sports 3 at 3.00pm (live) RADIO - TBA THE BETTING Melbourne to win $1.50 North Melbourne to win $2.60 THE LAST TIME THEY MET North Melbourne 21.10.136 defeated Melbourne 20.11.131 at Blundstone Oval in Round 3 2016. The Kangaroos were quick out of the blocks with a roaring gale at their backs and had seven straight goals on the board before the Demons troubled the scorers but after trailing by 36 points at the first break they played a nine-goal second term to be seven points ahead at halftime. North then regained the lead halfway through the third and led by 3 goals at the final break with Melbourne pushing forward to level the scores 8 minutes into the final term. The Kangaroos regrouped and the Melbourne fightback left it 5 points adrift when Billy Stretch gathered the ball near goal as the siren sounded. MELBOURNE B: Michael Hibberd, Oscar McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Jayden Hunt, Sam Frost, Bernie Vince C: Nathan Jones, Clayton Oliver, Tomas Bugg HF: Christian Petracca, Jack Watts, Mitch Hannan F: Jeff Garlett, Cameron Pedersen, Dom Tyson FOLL: Tom McDonald, Jordan Lewis, Jack Viney I/C: Dean Kent, Christian Salem, Josh Wagner, Sam Weideman EMG: Jake Melksham, Alex Neal-Bullen Billy Stretch NO CHANGE NORTH MELBOURNE B: Marley Williams, Robbie Tarrant, Ed Vickers-Willis HB: Aaron Mullett, Scott D Thompson, Jamie Macmillan C: Sam Gibson, Ben Cunnington, Mason Wood HF: Kayne Turner, Jarrad Waite, Luke McDonald F: Nathan Hrovat, Ben Brown, Shaun Higgins FOLL: Todd Goldstein, Jack Ziebell, Jed Anderson, Ryan Clarke I/C: Shaun Atley, Taylor Garner, Lachlan Hansen, Andrew Swallow, EMG: Sam Durdin, Declan Mountford, Braydon Preuss IN: Taylor Garner, Aaron Mullett, Andrew Swallow, Jarrad Waite OUT: Jed Anderson (foot) Trent Dumont (concussion), Sam Durdin (omitted), Jy Simpkin (AC Joint) IT ALL FIGURES by Stan the Stats Man More than a third of the season has passed by so it's time to look at how the Melbourne list has been traveling. The club has often been compared with another AFL up-and-comer in St. Kilda but I can assure you that the Saints have few injury worries to date by comparison with Melbourne and one or two other clubs in the competition. That's just one thing that stands out from the simple analysis below. 1. Jesse Hogan MFC games 4, goals 9 An eventful season so far but not for good reasons. He was suspended in Round 2, missed a week mourning the loss of his father and now the cancer diagnosis. 2. Nathan Jones MFC games 8, goals 6 The hard nosed skipper has led from the front throughout the season so far. 3. Christian Salem MFC games 8, goals 3 Has raised his game a level whether playing in midfield or defence. 4. Jack Watts MFC games 8, goals 13 After a less than encouraging pre season period, Watts has hardly put a foot wrong as a forward or back up ruckman. 5. Christian Petracca MFC games 8, goals 12 Has made good progress and is starting to live up to his high draft selection. 6. Jordan Lewis MFC games 5, goals 3 A magnificent acquisition for the club who has provided inspiration and leadership but with one major blemish being his suspension for 3 matches after a brain fade in Round 2. 7. Jack Viney MFC games 8, goals 3 Made a slow start to the season and has started to come good in the last few weeks. 8. Heritier Lumumba Retired without even making a start to his pre season. 9. Jack Trengove CD games 5, goals 1 Still biding his time playing consistent football in the VFL but will he get another opportunity to play at the highest level? 10. Angus Brayshaw MFC games 2, goals 1, CD games 3, goals 1 Troubled by concussion issues and his short term future remains in doubt. 11. Max Gawn MFC games 3, goals 1 Injured in Round 3 and underwent hamstring surgery after the game, the All Australian ruckman's presence in the ruck is being sorely missed. 12. Dom Tyson MFC games 7, goals 1 Form has been a little inconsistent but he's been really important when up and running. 13. Clayton Oliver MFC games 8, goals 1 The young midfielder is having an outstanding second season. Probably leading in the club's best and fairest and even spoken of as a possible All Australian. 14. Michael Hibberd MFC games 4, goals 1, CD games 2, goals 0 A prolific ball winner with great delivery skills and a good stopper in defence. Already an important player with the Demons after missing the early games with injury. 15. Billy Stretch MFC games 5, goals 2, CD games 2, goals 0 After a good start, his form dropped off ever so slightly and he found himself out of the side. 16. Dean Kent MFC games 3, goals 5, CD games 3, goals 3 Form has been indifferent but he has his chance now. 17. Sam Frost MFC games 5, goals 0 Came back from some pre season injury worries as a much improved player in defence. 18. Jake Melksham MFC games 6, goals 0, CD games 1, goals 1 Had some good moments but found himself down at Casey where he earned a suspension after playing a blinder. 19. Mitch Hannan MFC games 7, goals 7 Has been good in his debut year at the club. 20. Colin Garland Suffered an ACL injury before the start of the season. Sidelined for 2017. 21. Cameron Pedersen MFC games 3, goals 5, CD games 2, goals 3 Working hard against tough odds and taller opposition as a fill in ruckman/forward. 22. Aaron Vandenberg Yet to take the field during the regular season due to a heel injury. 23. Bernie Vince MFC games 7, goals 1 Played a great tagging role in recent weeks and was terrific on Rory Sloane. 24. Jay Kennedy-Harris MFC games 3, goals 0, CD games 2, goals 1 Didn't do enough to impress in his three match stint after a long period out through injuries. 25. Tom McDonald MFC games 8, goals 4 Strong leader in defence who has also gone forward and played on the ball during the club's ruck crisis. 26. Sam Weideman MFC games 5, goals 3, CD games 1, goals 0 Was strong in the tackling department against Adelaide but needs to impose himself more as a tall forward. 27. Liam Hulett CD games 2, goals 0, CD DL games 1, goals 0 Struggling at the moment at Casey after missing part of the pre season. 28. Oscar McDonald MFC games 6, goals 0, CD games 2, goals 0 His form was patchy early but has come back strongly after a stint with the Casey Demons. 29. Jayden Hunt MFC games 8, goals 4 Having a wonderful season highlighted by his blistering pace, adventurous running and athleticism. 30. Alex Neal-Bullen MFC games 6, goals 3, CD games 1, goals 1 Had is moments this year and is on the fringe at the moment. 32. Tomas Bugg MFC games 4, goals 2, CD games 1, goals 5 Working his way into a regular spot in the Demon line up. 33. Jake Spencer MFC games 2, goals 0 Waited a long time to get an opportunity at AFL level but suffered a shoulder injury in just his second game back. 34. Mitch King CD games 4, goals 0 King is a developing player coming back from an ACL and is being given time at Casey. 35. Ben Kennedy CD games 5, goals 2 Struggling to gain a spot at Melbourne, Kennedy has been working on his game down at Casey. 36. Jeff Garlett MFC games 8, goals 20 Dangerous forward having a terrific season and finally gaining recognition for the value of his role to the team. 37. Dion Johnstone CD games 5, goals 2 Speedy forward who can lay a tackle is learning the trade in the VFL. 38. Tim Smith ® MFC games 2, goals 1, CD games 1 goals 0 Unlucky to suffer a broken rib in his second game. 39. Neville Jetta MFC games 8, goals 2 Steady as a rock playing the small defender's role. 40. Patrick McKenna A hamstring tear has prevented him from playing at either AFL or VFL level. Had another setback at training this week. 41. Mitchell White ® CD games 4, goals 1 Working hard as a defender at Casey but missed last week. 42. Josh Wagner MFC games 2, goals 0, CD games 1, goals 0 Had some injury woes in the pre season but has come back into the team and slotted in well in defence. 43. James Harmes MFC games 4, goals 3, CD games 3, goals 0 Lost his place in the Melbourne team but bounced back with a strong performance at Casey last week. 44. Joel Smith ® MFC games 1, goals 0 Was going along nicely in defence on debut when he suffered an injured shoulder and will miss at least the rest of the first half of the season. 45. Declan Keilty ® CD games 5, goals 3 Rookie spare parts man getting experience as a back up ruckman with key position roles in the VFL. 47. Lachlan Filipovic ® CD DL games 4, goals 0 Project ruckman getting game time in the Development League with the Casey Demons. 48. Corey Maynard ® CD games 4, goals 1 Was coming along nicely performing better than expected and getting plenty of the ball as a midfielder at Casey when he suffered a big hit and will miss his second game this week as a result.

I like torturing myself and others with alternate history scenarios. You don't want to see the 29 point reversal ladder.

CLUB PLAYED WINS LOSSES % POINTS Richmond 8 7 1 108.2% 28 Adelaide 8 6 2 127.2% 24 West Coast 8 6 2 112.9% 24 Melbourne 8 6 2 111.9% 24 Port Adelaide 8 5 3 150.8% 20 St Kilda 8 5 3 110.7% 20 North Melbourne 8 5 3 92.1% 20 GWS Giants 8 4 4 120.5% 16 Geelong 8 4 4 116.5% 16 Western Bulldogs 8 4 4 107.8% 16 Essendon 8 4 4 91.4% 16 Gold Coast 8 4 4 86.2% 16 Sydney 8 3 5 94.3% 12 Carlton 8 3 5 80.2% 12 Collingwood 8 2 6 91.4% 8 Fremantle 8 2 6 85.4% 8 Hawthorn 8 2 6 76.5% 8 Brisbane 8 0 8 66.9% 0

Congratulations to Michael Hibberd, Christian Petracca, Jack Viney and Clayton Oliver on their nominations to the Round 8 AFL Team of the Week.

I'd say he's 7 points off that list.

Great stuff. I edited the OP to embed the video.

Thanks for the info.

Jack Viney scores another perfect 10. Clarry in 3rd place. WEST COAST v WESTERN BULLDOGS 7 Shannon Hurn (WC) 6 Andrew Gaff (WC) 5 Elliot Yeo (WC) 4 Easton Wood (WB) 3 Caleb Daniel (WB) 2 Jason Johannisen (WB) 2 Sam Mitchell (WC) 1 Jeremy McGovern (WC) HAWTHORN v BRISBANE LIONS 7 Tom Mitchell (Haw) 7 Tom Rockliff (BL) 5 Dayne Zorko (BL) 4 Billy Hartung (Haw) 3 Luke Hodge (Haw) 2 Ryan Burton (Haw) 2 Ben McEvoy (Haw) ST KILDA v CARLTON 10 Jack Billings (StK) 7 Patrick Cripps (Carl) 7 Sebastian Ross (StK) 4 Jack Steven (StK) 1 Sam Docherty (Carl) 1 Marc Murphy (Carl) GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY v COLLINGWOOD 10 Josh Kelly (GWS) 8 Jeremy Cameron (GWS) 5 Taylor Adams (Coll) 4 Steele Sidebottom (Coll) 2 Brodie Grundy (Coll) 1 Devon Smith (GWS) ESSENDON v GEELONG 9 Joe Daniher (Ess) 7 Michael Hurley (Ess) 5 Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti (Ess) 4 Dyson Heppell (Ess) 3 Orazio Fantasia (Ess) 1 Zach Merrett (Ess) 1 Zac Smith (Geel) ADELAIDE v MELBOURNE 10 Jack Viney (Melb) 8 Michael Hibberd (Melb) 5 Clayton Oliver (Melb) 5 Christian Petacca (Melb) 2 Bernie Vince (Melb) RICHMOND v FREMANTLE 10 Michael Walters (Frem) 8 Bradley Hill (Frem) 5 Shaun Grigg (Rich) 4 Alex Rance (Rich) 2 Lachie Neale (Frem) 1 Jack Riewoldt (Rich) GOLD COAST v PORT ADELAIDE 8 Brad Ebert (PA) 7 Tom Jonas (PA) 6 Chad Wingard (PA) 4 Paddy Ryder (PA) 3 Travis Boak (PA) 1 Jarman Impey (PA) 1 Steven May (GC) NORTH MELBOURNE v SYDNEY 10 Josh Kennedy (Syd) 8 Luke Parker (Syd) 5 Dan Hannebery (Syd) 4 Nic Newman (Syd) 3 Sam Reid (Syd) AFLCA LEADERBOARD 43 Elliot Yeo (WC) 42 Rory Sloane (Adel) 36 Clayton Oliver (Melb) 32 Gary Ablett (GC) 31 Marcus Bontempelli (WB) 31 Sebastian Ross (StK) 31 Joel Selwood (Geel) 29 Ollie Wines (PA) 27 Marc Murphy (Carl) 27 Jack Steven (StK)

An undermanned Casey Demons outfit travelled to Preston City Oval and surrendered the four premiership points on offer with barely a whimper against the Northern Blues. The odds were stacked against the visitors from the very start. The Blues had the luxury of resting a couple of their AFL listed players but were still able to take the field with 19 Carlton-listed players while the Demons with a long list of injuries among their AFL squad had only 11 MFC players. The advantage in those numbers was evident in the first minute when Kristian Jaksch goaled and the home side was never headed from that point. Soon after, the visitors were dealt with another blow when Angus Brayshaw left the field after being involved in a fourth head-high clash in the past year. The young Demon seems destined for at least a month on the sidelines before returning to the game. The incident cast a pall over the team which went into a complete shell for the remainder of the opening term. Casey's first score - a point - came well into time on. After an early Jay Kennedy-Harris goal, the effort was hardly better in the second quarter. The Demons conceded four goals on the trot to move to a 39 point lead at the main break. Sometimes, a break in play can lead to a change in momentum but that was not to be for Casey as the Northern Blues banged on another five unanswered goals after half time before Bayley Fritsch scored his first for the day late in the quarter. By then the deficit was 65 points. A face-saving four goal to two final term was better but the 55 point loss will cut deep, particularly because so many players struggled to get their hands on the ball. Fritsch could hold his head high after kicking two of those final quarter goals to finish with three for the day. He was well supported by mature age recruit Sean Dwyer. Of the Melbourne listed players Alex Neal-Bullen and James Harmes (34 touches each) worked hard against the odds and Jack Trengove gave his all with 25 disposals. However, the fact is that the team is currently lacking the necessary height and strength and will have to lift enormously if it is to feature in this year's final series. Peter Jackson VFL 2017 Casey Demons 0.1.1 1.6.12 2.7.19 6.7.43 Northern Blues 3.4.22 7.9.51 12.12.84 14.14.98 Goals Casey Demons Fritsch 3 Dwyer Kennedy-Harris Neal-Bullen Northern Blues Jaksch 5 Sumner 3 Polson 2 Armfield Cuningham LeBois Wilson Best Casey Demons Harmes Neal-Bullen Fritsch Moncrieff Munro Dwyer Northern Blues Boekhorst Wilson Jones Lamb Armfield Sumner Statistics Angus Brayshaw [injured in the very early stages of the game] James Harmes 19 kicks 15 handballs 34 disposals 2 marks 1 tackles 95 dream team points Liam Hulett 4 kicks 1 handballs 5 disposals 3 marks 4 tackles 39 dream team points Dion Johnstone 1 behind 3 kicks 8 handballs 11 disposals 1 tackle 30 dream team points Declan Keilty 4 kicks 5 handballs 9 disposals 2 tackles 9 hit outs 38 dream team points Ben Kennedy 4 kicks 15 handballs 19 disposals 1 tackle 53 dream team points Jay Kennedy-Harris 1 goal 1 behind 18 kicks 6 handballs 24 disposals 3 marks 2 tackles 88 dream team points Mitch King 2 kicks 3 handballs 5 disposals 1 mark 2 tackles 17 hit outs 34 dream team points Alex Neal-Bullen 1 goal 1 behind 19 kicks 15 handballs 34 disposals 5 marks 3 tackles 124 dream team points Billy Stretch 10 kicks 10 handballs 20 disposals 3 marks 3 tackles 68 dream team points Jack Trengove 1 behind 13 kicks 12 handballs 25 disposals 5 marks 5 tackles 97 dream team points ‪The Development League, after a close-fought game, went down by 17 points to the Northern Blues. Ed Morris put his hand up for promotion to the seniors with 31 disposals. AFL Vic Development League 2017 Casey Demons 3.1.19 3.6.24 7.9.51 7.12.54 Northern Blues 1.5.11 3.6.24 6.8.44 10.11.71 Goals Casey Demons Foote 2 Cotte Di Pasquale Gardiner Machaya Nyuon Northern Blues Corboy 3 Casley Collins Milham Payne Peet Strachan Walson Best Northern Blues Stevens Strachan Milham Declase Glover Corboy Casey Demons Hiscock Machaya Dan Johnston Collis Ambler Lewis-Smith

UNDERMANNED by KC from Casey An undermanned Casey Demons outfit travelled to Preston City Oval and surrendered the four premiership points on offer with barely a whimper against the Northern Blues. The odds were stacked against the visitors from the very start. The Blues had the luxury of resting a couple of their AFL listed players but were still able to take the field with 19 Carlton-listed players while the Demons with a long list of injuries among their AFL squad had only 11 MFC players. The advantage in those numbers was evident in the first minute when Kristian Jaksch goaled and the home side was never headed from that point. Soon after, the visitors were dealt with another blow when Angus Brayshaw left the field after being involved in a fourth head-high clash in the past year. The young Demon seems destined for at least a month on the sidelines before returning to the game. The incident cast a pall over the team which went into a complete shell for the remainder of the opening term. Casey's first score - a point - came well into time on. After an early Jay Kennedy-Harris goal, the effort was hardly better in the second quarter. The Demons conceded four goals on the trot to move to a 39 point lead at the main break. Sometimes, a break in play can lead to a change in momentum but that was not to be for Casey as the Northern Blues banged on another five unanswered goals after half time before Bayley Fritsch scored his first for the day late in the quarter. By then the deficit was 65 points. A face-saving four goal to two final term was better but the 55 point loss will cut deep, particularly because so many players struggled to get their hands on the ball. Fritsch could hold his head high after kicking two of those final quarter goals to finish with three for the day. He was well supported by mature age recruit Sean Dwyer. Of the Melbourne listed players Alex Neal-Bullen and James Harmes (34 touches each) worked hard against the odds and Jack Trengove gave his all with 25 disposals. However, the fact is that the team is currently lacking the necessary height and strength and will have to lift enormously if it is to feature in this year's final series. Peter Jackson VFL 2017 Casey Demons 0.1.1 1.6.12 2.7.19 6.7.43 Northern Blues 3.4.22 7.9.51 12.12.84 14.14.98 Goals Casey Demons Fritsch 3 Dwyer Kennedy-Harris Neal-Bullen Northern Blues Jaksch 5 Sumner 3 Polson 2 Armfield Cuningham LeBois Wilson Best Casey Demons Harmes Neal-Bullen Fritsch Moncrieff Munro Dwyer Northern Blues Boekhorst Wilson Jones Lamb Armfield Sumner Statistics Angus Brayshaw [injured in the very early stages of the game] James Harmes 19 kicks 15 handballs 34 disposals 2 marks 1 tackles 95 dream team points Liam Hulett 4 kicks 1 handballs 5 disposals 3 marks 4 tackles 39 dream team points Dion Johnstone 1 behind 3 kicks 8 handballs 11 disposals 1 tackle 30 dream team points Declan Keilty 4 kicks 5 handballs 9 disposals 2 tackles 9 hit outs 38 dream team points Ben Kennedy 4 kicks 15 handballs 19 disposals 1 tackle 53 dream team points Jay Kennedy-Harris 1 goal 1 behind 18 kicks 6 handballs 24 disposals 3 marks 2 tackles 88 dream team points Mitch King 2 kicks 3 handballs 5 disposals 1 mark 2 tackles 17 hit outs 34 dream team points Alex Neal-Bullen 1 goal 1 behind 19 kicks 15 handballs 34 disposals 5 marks 3 tackles 124 dream team points Billy Stretch 10 kicks 10 handballs 20 disposals 3 marks 3 tackles 68 dream team points Jack Trengove 1 behind 13 kicks 12 handballs 25 disposals 5 marks 5 tackles 97 dream team points ‪The Development League, after a close-fought game, went down by 17 points to the Northern Blues. Ed Morris put his hand up for promotion to the seniors with 31 disposals. AFL Vic Development League 2017 Casey Demons 3.1.19 3.6.24 7.9.51 7.12.54 Northern Blues 1.5.11 3.6.24 6.8.44 10.11.71 Goals Casey Demons Foote 2 Cotte Di Pasquale Gardiner Machaya Nyuon Northern Blues Corboy 3 Casley Collins Milham Payne Peet Strachan Walson Best Northern Blues Stevens Strachan Milham Declase Glover Corboy Casey Demons Hiscock Machaya Dan Johnston Collis Ambler Lewis-Smith

That's what I thought. Take a look at the Vince footage. Oliver is very hesitant to touch the umpire to see if he is ok.

Oliver is so good he defies the laws of physics.

That is not the first or last time.

Goal of the Year: https://goaloftheyear.afl/vote/round/8 Stiff competition this week. All three were excellent.

WTF? I assume Guthrie will get 6 weeks in comparison. http://melbournefc.com.au/news/2017-05-15/vince-offered-fine-by-mrp

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/video/2017-05-15/rd-8-all-the-goals

The collective noun for a flock of Crows is a “murder” (please don't ask me why) and MURDER was exactly what the Demons did to the top-of-the-ladder Adelaide Crows by playing the type of emphatic and decisive football that coach Simon Goodwin has been talking about since his inauguration. The “type of football we want to play … our brand …” Well it all came together on a near balmy Adelaide night as Melbourne ran out 41 point victors to send a deathly silence around the Adelaide Oval among the 47k+ people who attended the game. The poor locals were witnessing murder committed right in front of their eyes as a relentless, aggressive and committed Demons put their beloved Crows to the sword. Murder happened, but it was the team of assassins that kept killing any hope or resurgence that the Crows may have mounted. None more so than 200 gamer Bernie Vince who was assigned a tagging role on the dangerous Rory Sloane who probably heads the voting to date in the Brownlow. Our man Vince held him to a miserable three possessions to ¾ time! For the final quarter he was taken from the middle of the ground and relegated to half back, where he managed to pick up a further 8 touches, but only because Bernie was no longer tagging him. Meanwhile, Vince accidentally took out one of the umpires for good measure but hopefully nothing should come of that. In the middle, Clayton Oliver was intimidating and causing mayhem with the remainder of the Adelaide midfield racking up another 30 possession game. Critically he kicked a goal from an impossible angle in the pocket when the Crows were within a goal. Another dagger to the heart, as Melbourne then piled on nine unanswered goals from late in the second quarter to the end of the third. But they didn’t stop there with a five goal final quarter effort including two early in the term to put the game beyond any doubt. Yet this was the Adelaide side that came into the game with only a solitary defeat for the season. The Adelaide side that had two tall rucks in Jacobs and Jenkins (with another in Lynch if needed ) against Melbourne’s Cam Pedersen standing at a mere 193cm. Jacobs managed 74 hit outs yet Pedersen nullified his direction and forced him to drop the ball close to his feet where the Demon mids feasted. The result - Melbourne won the clearances both in the middle and around the ground. Pedersen topped off his gargantuan effort with three goals of his own and he had some willing helpers in Tom McDonald and Jack Watts when he needed a rest. They caused enough trouble on their own as Tom moved forward and finished with two goals, showing his strength in marking and contesting by beating his opponents comprehensively when challenged. It was a day on which coaching was truly a stand out for Melbourne. The Vince tag was critical and it denied the Crows much drive. Atkins as another mid was left unmarked for the whole night. The coaches had obviously determined that he was not as much of a threat and it was preferable to have that additional Melbourne player around the contest. No ruck, no full-forward for the game, and yet this was probably a game performance equal to and probably better than the win against Hawthorn last year. In Simon Goodwin, it looks like we have a “good-un” Tom up forward, Oscar left down back to take on Jenkins was another piece of brilliance as he simply ran off him and spoiled, Jenkins having really “soft” hands in marking contests. When that wasn’t happening Frost and Hibberd, in particular, had a dream run and we are now seeing the same insights that Goodwin had when he convinced Hibberd to leave the Bombers. Twenty-eight touches to ¾ time and 34 for the game from half-back was incredible. But it is his reliable left foot that hits targets 50+ metres away and in tight situations that simply changes the momentum of the game. Then the backs have Salem and Jetta to clean up any scraps. Jetta assigned Betts for the night gave him a miserly nine touches. Not too many others can claim a record like that. Salem with 31 touches deep in defence was another stalwart and also with a lethal foot and surety of hand never wastes a disposal. Have I mentioned Jack Viney? Well, he was back to his best with 31 touches including 15 contested, and when you check that Oliver had 15 contested, as well as Petracca with 15 of his own, then Jones with 11, it is easy to understand the absolute dominance that Melbourne had around the ball. This all combined to turn Adelaide Oval into a crime scene and come the end of the gamea message had been sent to the rest of the competition. If Melbourne sustains the same level of intensity and game style in coming games, in the absence of its AA ruckman and one of the best up and coming forwards, then more murders might occur in the future including a long-awaited Kangaroo cull next week. Melbourne 2.2.14 5.3.33 12.5.77 17.5.107 Adelaide 1.4.10 6.7.43 7.8.50 9.12.66 Goals Melbourne Pedersen 3 Bugg Garlett Jones Kent T McDonald 2 Hannan Oliver Petracca Viney Adelaide Betts Jenkins Walker 2 Atkins Laird Smith Best Melbourne Oliver Viney Hibberd Jones Salem Lewis. Adelaide Jacobs Laird Smith M Crouch B Crouch Atkins Changes Melbourne Jesse Hogan (illness) replaced by Sam Weideman Adelaide Nil Injuries Melbourne Jayden Hunt (concussion) Adelaide Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Adelaide Nil Umpires Kamolins, Fleer (replaced in second quarter by Hundertmark), Ryan. Hundertmark then left the ground in the final quarter, leaving only two umpires ... this should be tried more often! Official crowd 47,882 at Adelaide Oval

A MURDER OF CROWS by George on the Outer The collective noun for a flock of Crows is a “murder” (please don't ask me why) and MURDER was exactly what the Demons did to the top-of-the-ladder Adelaide Crows by playing the type of emphatic and decisive football that coach Simon Goodwin has been talking about since his inauguration. The “type of football we want to play … our brand …” Well it all came together on a near balmy Adelaide night as Melbourne ran out 41 point victors to send a deathly silence around the Adelaide Oval among the 47k+ people who attended the game. The poor locals were witnessing murder committed right in front of their eyes as a relentless, aggressive and committed Demons put their beloved Crows to the sword. Murder happened, but it was the team of assassins that kept killing any hope or resurgence that the Crows may have mounted. None more so than 200 gamer Bernie Vince who was assigned a tagging role on the dangerous Rory Sloane who probably heads the voting to date in the Brownlow. Our man Vince held him to a miserable three possessions to ¾ time! For the final quarter he was taken from the middle of the ground and relegated to half back, where he managed to pick up a further 8 touches, but only because Bernie was no longer tagging him. Meanwhile, Vince accidentally took out one of the umpires for good measure but hopefully nothing should come of that. In the middle, Clayton Oliver was intimidating and causing mayhem with the remainder of the Adelaide midfield racking up another 30 possession game. Critically he kicked a goal from an impossible angle in the pocket when the Crows were within a goal. Another dagger to the heart, as Melbourne then piled on nine unanswered goals from late in the second quarter to the end of the third. But they didn’t stop there with a five goal final quarter effort including two early in the term to put the game beyond any doubt. Yet this was the Adelaide side that came into the game with only a solitary defeat for the season. The Adelaide side that had two tall rucks in Jacobs and Jenkins (with another in Lynch if needed ) against Melbourne’s Cam Pedersen standing at a mere 193cm. Jacobs managed 74 hit outs yet Pedersen nullified his direction and forced him to drop the ball close to his feet where the Demon mids feasted. The result - Melbourne won the clearances both in the middle and around the ground. Pedersen topped off his gargantuan effort with three goals of his own and he had some willing helpers in Tom McDonald and Jack Watts when he needed a rest. They caused enough trouble on their own as Tom moved forward and finished with two goals, showing his strength in marking and contesting by beating his opponents comprehensively when challenged. It was a day on which coaching was truly a stand out for Melbourne. The Vince tag was critical and it denied the Crows much drive. Atkins as another mid was left unmarked for the whole night. The coaches had obviously determined that he was not as much of a threat and it was preferable to have that additional Melbourne player around the contest. No ruck, no full-forward for the game, and yet this was probably a game performance equal to and probably better than the win against Hawthorn last year. In Simon Goodwin, it looks like we have a “good-un” Tom up forward, Oscar left down back to take on Jenkins was another piece of brilliance as he simply ran off him and spoiled, Jenkins having really “soft” hands in marking contests. When that wasn’t happening Frost and Hibberd, in particular, had a dream run and we are now seeing the same insights that Goodwin had when he convinced Hibberd to leave the Bombers. Twenty-eight touches to ¾ time and 34 for the game from half-back was incredible. But it is his reliable left foot that hits targets 50+ metres away and in tight situations that simply changes the momentum of the game. Then the backs have Salem and Jetta to clean up any scraps. Jetta assigned Betts for the night gave him a miserly nine touches. Not too many others can claim a record like that. Salem with 31 touches deep in defence was another stalwart and also with a lethal foot and surety of hand never wastes a disposal. Have I mentioned Jack Viney? Well, he was back to his best with 31 touches including 15 contested, and when you check that Oliver had 15 contested, as well as Petracca with 15 of his own, then Jones with 11, it is easy to understand the absolute dominance that Melbourne had around the ball. This all combined to turn Adelaide Oval into a crime scene and come the end of the gamea message had been sent to the rest of the competition. If Melbourne sustains the same level of intensity and game style in coming games, in the absence of its AA ruckman and one of the best up and coming forwards, then more murders might occur in the future including a long-awaited Kangaroo cull next week. Melbourne 2.2.14 5.3.33 12.5.77 17.5.107 Adelaide 1.4.10 6.7.43 7.8.50 9.12.66 Goals Melbourne Pedersen 3 Bugg Garlett Jones Kent T McDonald 2 Hannan Oliver Petracca Viney Adelaide Betts Jenkins Walker 2 Atkins Laird Smith Best Melbourne Oliver Viney Hibberd Jones Salem Lewis. Adelaide Jacobs Laird Smith M Crouch B Crouch Atkins Changes Melbourne Jesse Hogan (illness) replaced by Sam Weideman Adelaide Nil Injuries Melbourne Jayden Hunt (concussion) Adelaide Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Adelaide Nil Umpires Kamolins, Fleer (replaced in second quarter by Hundertmark), Ryan. Hundertmark then left the ground in the final quarter, leaving only two umpires ... this should be tried more often! Official crowd 47,882 at Adelaide Oval